A multi-species assessment of genetic variability in Nigerian Amaranthus accessions: potential for improving intra- and interspecies hybridization breeding

Amaranthus yields could benefit from our growing understanding of the genetic variability within and among individual species of local germplasm collections. Thirty-seven Amaranthus accessions representing three different species were evaluated for seed yield and yield components across two seasons. The objectives were to characterize the genetic variability of seed yield and its components across species and determine relationships among seed yield and its components by phenotypic correlation. Significant differences (P < 0.01) existed for all the evaluated traits among the accessions. Characters such as seed yield, stem girth and leaf length showed higher heritability estimates in A. cruentus (14) than in A. hypochondriacus (12) and A. dubius (11) accessions. Seed yield was significantly and positively correlated with stem girth and thousand seed weight. However, it was significantly and negatively correlated with number of days to flowering, plant height, leaf number, number of branches. The clustering of the accessions, which was partially in agreement with species grouping, will help in the identification of diverse parents for use in the breeding program. Enormous amount of genetic variability found in seed yield and its components among Nigerian Amaranthus accessions will offer opportunity for grain and leaf yield improvement through breeding.